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As an important technique for the detection of fingermarks on porous surfaces, 1,2-indanedione is widely used due to its excellent detection performance. In order to optimize the effectiveness of 1,2-indanedione, several institutions have modified the original formulation. In this study, four different 1,2-indanedione formulations were used to treat fingermarks deposited on different porous substrates to determine the most suitable formulation and whether Solstice-PF can be an alternative carrier solvent for the currently used HFE7100. It was found that the Solstice-PF-based formulation performed similarly to the HFE7100-based formulation on copy paper, but when treating fingermarks deposited on brown paper and newspaper, Solstice-PF was superior to HFE7100 by developing up to 10% more marks graded 3 and 4 regardless of the ageing period. The results confirm that Solstice-PF can be used as an alternative carrier solvent for 1,2-indanedione formulations with good detection rates and lower costs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work, there is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service and/or company that could be construed as influencing the position presented in, or the review of, the manuscript entitled, “Effect of carrier solvent in 1,2-indanedione formulation on the development of fingermarks on porous substrates”., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Enhancement of latent fingermarks found at crime scenes can be crucial to criminal investigations. The performance of ninhydrin analogues 1,2-indanedione (IND/Zn) and 1,8-diazafluoren-9-one (DFO) used in laboratories for the enhancement of latent fingermarks on porous substrates were compared for operational use. The visualisation of enhanced latent fingermarks on seven substrates commonly encountered in local crimes - plain A4 paper, glossy magazine, paper magazine, brown envelopes, white envelopes, cardboard, and joss paper were assessed using fingermarks deposits from seven donors. Fingermarks were aged under both indoor and outdoor conditions as well as over different periods of time. Our results show that IND/Zn consistently produced fingermarks of superior quality and contrast to DFO across the different donors, substrates and time periods. IND/Zn also appears to be more sensitive compared to DFO., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Fingermarks and DNA are valuable traces in forensic investigations potentially allowing for the identification of the source of the trace or highlighting a link between a touched object and an individual. These traces are often latent and need to be detected before recovery. While a number of validated methods exist for fingermark detection, no routine method is in place for the detection of DNA. This study investigates the use of pdimethylaminobenzaldehyde (DMAB) in conjunction with indanedione zinc (IND-Zn) for the detection of latent cellular material and fingermarks on paper. The aim of this proof-of-concept study is to determine the successfulness of this reagent (DMAB-IND) in the detection of the respective traces and observe the impact it has on the resulting DNA profile. It was found that latent fingermarks and the associated cells could be visualised following treatment with the reagent. Samples treated with DMAB-IND showed a significantly higher percentage of alleles called compared to IND-Zn-treated and untreated samples due to the targeted recovery of cells. However, the reagent appears to degrade DNA at a rapid rate, requiring the treated samples to be processed for DNA on the day of treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

1,2-Indanedione has been extensively researched since the discovery of its fluorogenic reaction with amino acids in 1997 by Joullié et al. [1]. This current study compares the development of fingermarks on used train tickets by the three leading reagents for amino acids-ninhydrin, DFO and 1,2-indanedione. The train tickets are ideal for the task due to their high abundance and frequent use by a diverse population. However, their unique double-layer composition of a cellulose-based regular paper on one side and a thermally sensitive layer on the other requires an adjustment of the traditional development procedures. Heat, which is normally applied after dipping the specimens in the reagents solutions, had to be avoided due to darkening of the sensitive thermal layer. Instead, it has been replaced by air-drying in a fume-hood 24h prior to the recording of the results. Three groups, each containing 500 used train tickets had been treated by each of the three reagents. The results were expressed in terms of percentage of both comparable and partial fingermarks. In this study we controlled neither the quality of the fingerprint donors nor the conditions under which the latent fingermarks had been deposited or stored. However, the large number of similar exhibits which are randomly chosen allows tentative conclusions on the potential of each reagent, hence, a new criterion for the potential of fingermark development (PFD) is proposed. The PFD combines all the partial fingermarks and identifiable fingermarks (graded 1 and 2) thus, highlighting the sensitivity of the reagents. In this work, the superiority of 1,2-indanedione is demonstrated using both the traditional comparison tests as well as the suggested "PFD"., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

1,2-indanedione (1,2-IND) and 1,8-diazafluoren-9-one (DFO) are used in the forensic field to enhance latent fingerprints deposited on porous surfaces due to the formation of fluorescent products by reacting with the amino acids present in the papillary exudate. The study was carried out in collaboration with the Fingerprints and Photography Section of the Carabinieri Scientific Investigation Department (RIS) of Rome, in which laboratories, until now, DFO has been the most used because of its excellent enhancing properties, even if it is more expensive and relatively toxic in comparison with the 1,2-IND. The aim of this work was then to evaluate and to compare the effectiveness of three solutions of 1,2-IND in different formulations and a DFO solution employed as single enhancing treatments, in order to assess whether it was possible to replace a reagent with the other obtaining equally satisfying results. In this case, white office paper was selected as deposit surface since it also permitted one to observe those reaction products that appear visible to a naked eye. Beside to a qualitative study of the visual characteristic of the enhanced fingerprints, further quantitative studies were conducted on the intensity of fluorescence of the products and on the consumption of amino acids during the reaction. The analyses, which at first were conducted on standard samples, were then repeated on real samples to validate the results obtained. The DFO confirmed its excellent enhancement properties, but also one of the three solutions of 1,2-IND showed comparable properties in terms of enhanced fingerprint definition and stability over time from the completion of a crime. As a result, we proved that a selected 1,2-IND formulation may replace with satisfactory achievements the DFO solution currently employed, providing also advantages from the point of view of safety and cost savings., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The use of 1,2-indanedione-ZnCl2 (IND-Zn) for the visualisation of fingermarks on porous materials has been widely accepted. The use of the reagent in comparison with others has been well described. To what extent IND or IND-Zn reacts with amino acids, in comparison to ninhydrin, has not been described to date. In this technical note we describe the analysis of amino acids with LCMS with the purpose of understanding the reactivity of ninhydrin, IND-Zn and the sequence thereof. The consumption of amino acids by these visualisation reagents is a feature we propose to use for calculations on the reactivity of these reagents. By using recently developed methods for the quantification of amino acids, we determined the consumption of these entities by visualisation reagents. We show that the differences in reactivity between IND and ninhydrin are not as big as the differences between 1,8-diazafluoren-9-one (DFO) and ninhydrin. We also show that it is of great importance to use IND-Zn and ninhydrin in sequence, in order to fully consume the amino acids present in fingermarks., (Copyright © 2015 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

1,2-Indanedione belongs to a class of compounds which have demonstrated great potential in the processing of latent prints, particularly in the area of fluorescence. However, variability in results achieved worldwide has precluded it from being used extensively. In order to isolate the cause of this variability, various components of the formulation were analyzed, including purity level of the indanedione, type of carrier solvent, and the use of ZnCl(2) both as a secondary application and incorporated into the reagent. Using a resultant optimized formulation (Ind-Zn), performance comparisons were then made in the areas of visible color development, fluorescence, and degree of substrate staining with those of 1,8-diazafluoren-9-one (DFO) for both fresh and aged prints. Moisture content of the paper substrates on which the prints had been deposited was measured and a correlation found with percentage ambient relative humidity (% RH). Determination of visible color and fluorescence as it corresponded to percentage moisture content allowed for defining critical threshold levels necessary for achieving optimal results. Correlating these values with % RH then allowed for the development of standard operating procedures for obtaining best possible print development. Through this work, it was determined that a 7.4% v/v formulation of Ind-Zn having petroleum ether as a carrier solvent yielded the most optimal results when processing methods optimized for % RH in the laboratory were utilized. Both initial color development and fluorescence were superior to that of DFO; prints developed with Ind-Zn were a minimum of 6.5 units dE* darker and more red than with DFO for all substrates tested. Processing with Ind-Zn on the majority of the substrates examined yielded fluorescence intensity values approximately four times greater than with DFO.

1,2-Indanedione treated fingerprints deposited on two substrates (thermal and carbonless paper) were swabbed and tested to determine the effect of the chemical on PCR-STR DNA typing. Samples from 10 post-treatment intervals were analyzed. Two extraction methods, Chelex and Qiamp, were used to determine the effect of extraction procedure on the quality of the DNA profiles. The LCN DNA samples were concentrated using Microcon 100 and amplified using the Profiler Plus amplification kit. 1,2-Indanedione did not adversely affect the DNA profiles obtained from the treated fingerprints. Partial DNA profiles were obtained at all post-development time frames. Both extraction methods produced comparable profiles although more "drop-ins" were observed with the Qiamp method. More "drop-outs" occurred in the DNA profiles from samples deposited on the thermal substrate compared with carbonless substrate.

1,2-indanedione is an emerging fingermark reagent used on porous surfaces. The general consensus is that this reagent is at least as sensitive as DFO, with some research showing higher sensitivity for 1,2-indanedione as opposed to DFO. However, a number of discrepancies existed in the literature as to which formulation and which development procedure produces optimal results. This project set out to investigate the best formulation and development procedure under Australian conditions, encompassing all published recommendations as well as some novel approaches. 1,2-indanedione formulations were compared with respect to initial colour, fluorescence, concentration of reagent, acetic acid concentration, and the effect of different carrier solvents. Numerous development conditions were investigated, including a conventional oven, a heat press and humidity. Further enhancement using metal salt treatment and liquid nitrogen was also evaluated. The heat press set at 165 degrees C for 10s proved to give the best initial colour and most intense luminescence. Secondary metal salt treatment improved initial colour and luminescence. The Polilight, the VSC 2000, and the Condor Chemical Imaging macroscope have been used to detect the fingerprints developed with 1,2-indanedione on a variety of high- and low-quality porous and semi-porous surfaces, with impressive results overall. Laboratory and field tests were conducted to compare 1,2-indanedione with DFO and ninhydrin as well as to investigate the position of 1,2-indanedione in the sequence of reagents for fingermark detection on porous surfaces. Overall, 1,2-indanedione proved to be a viable alternative to traditional methods for the detection of fingermarks on porous surfaces, with more fingermarks being developed using this reagent on real samples than both DFO and ninhydrin and a combination of the two reagents.